Certifiable
by ProDLnEC aka NLcsimiamifanatic
Summary: Eric and Calleigh don't mind being called that! Tie-in with "A Gentle Nudge From a Child".


_Long Live CSI: Miami!_

_**Certifiable**_

_I thought of this little dabble after reading an editorial in which in response David and Victoria announcing they're having their fourth child the writer states "only the rich or reckless have four children nowadays." This is Eric Delko's feeling on the issue after reading the same article. __**As for the timeline, I wrote this a while ago but did not publish it .**_

_**Note:**__ The characters are from "A Gentle Nudge From A Child" story for new readers._

"Well, just call us certifiable," he muttered, taking a sip of his coffee_._

Were he and Calleigh rich?

Far from it, but as far as help with the kids went, the couple got some occasional help from Eric's parents and Calleigh's aunt Roberta, "Nana", to the children but hired help was out of the question.

They wouldn't consider themselves "reckless" by any means, either. Besides, birth control was _everywhere_. It was even _free_ at any planned parenthood clinic. The article complained that only people who didn't have to worry about the grocery bills and had nannies for full-time childcare had four children. Then the ultimate "piece of bullshit" Eric had ever read, when people had more than two children, the kids were misbehaved. It was not possible to parent more two children "properly."

Whoever felt that way should indeed not have more than two children, Eric thought. But to generalize the idea, even though current times were different then when even he grew up, was ridiculous.

Just two weeks ago he and Calleigh were blessed with twins Nadya and Zachary. Agreeably, life at home was completely exhausting now. With the addition of two newborns, their two-year-old Ethan who wasn't taking well to not being the baby of the family anymore and making sure time was made for their oldest child, Chloe, who was six, sleep was a rarity and couple time was non-existent.

And he and Calleigh wouldn't have it any other way.

They still made time, tiny moments for a little kiss and a smile. This was exactly the life the couple wanted. They planned, or hoped, to have four children. When they got the "two for one" with Calleigh's second pregnancy they were ecstatic. From that moment they knew life was going to be even more chaotic than it already was but they had looked forward to it. Chloe enjoyed her new siblings as much as a six-year-old who already had a toddler brother could. Mom and dad made it a big priority to make sure that each of them spent at least a half hour alone with just Chloe during the day. The short period of time made a difference in everyone's day. She was still a child, even though she wasn't a baby or toddler. She needed quality time with mom and dad, too. To maximize this time, mom and dad usually did this while the younger children were sleeping.

And they were made sure slways to make it separate from her homework time. They did puzzles, played with blocks, read books, sometimes they just sat on the floor and chatted about the day gone by. It made Chloe feel she was still important to her parents. She liked time with mom and dad together, she liked one-on-one with them better. The girl asked the strangest questions for someone her age. When she and her dad were talking one evening she asked how he felt when mommy were at the hospital having the babies.

Was he was excited? Was he scared?

Eric told her that he cried when the twins were born, the same way he cried when Ethan was born and when the hospital confirmed she was his baby, not someone else's.

"Calleigh and Eric have their hands full," Ryan said to Natalia. "I can't imagine how they do it."

Natalia agreed. She imagined how hard Calleigh was finding it being she had to physically recover from childbirth, even if it hadn't been via c-section. Woman-to-woman, Calleigh had told Natalia she felt "great" hours after giving birth. She was indeed _very_ sore but she didn't require stitches.

"I can't believe I'm seeing _two_ lil' faces," Calleigh h ad gushed emotionally to her friend. At the same time, in the short time she had been away from them, she missed her two older children. She knew that Ethan wasn't going to be too excited to meet his new brother and sister, evidence being that he already wasn't pleased about the twins impending arrival so neither parent was expecting big smiles from him when they bought the twins home in two days. Chloe had been excited about her siblings from the get-go. When daddy called home to tell that the babies had arrived and asked her if she wanted to come to the hospital the next morning he got an enthusiastic "yeah!" in reply. When he asked Ethan the same, he got an instant "no!" Eric thought he would try to persuade the boy some when he went home in the morning, but he wasn't going to force him, his wife agreed.

When Eric arrived at the home in the morning. He found Ethan still in his pajamas, refusing to get dressed because he said that meant he would have to go see the twins and he already "didn't like" them.

"Okay buddy," Eric told his son when he didn't want to go with Chloe. "Daddy loves you. I'll see you later." He didn't push the issue, giving Ethan a hug and kiss, he left with Chloe. Calleigh was not surprised to see just her little girl with Eric. Chloe had a flower for her mom and a teddy bear each for new brother and sister. Chloe enjoyed some cuddle time with mommy before the twins were bought up from the nursery. When the two arrived Chloe's face lit up. She got to hold her sister first.

"Her name is Nadya," Eric said to her. "Just like all of us talked about."

"She looks like you, mommy! 'Cept she got dark hair and eyes like me and Ethan!" Chloe said happily

Calleigh smiled.

When she held her new brother, she said "he looks a bit like Nadya a little bit."

Chloe wasn't happy that she only got to spend a short amount of time at the hospital with mom. She got teary-eyed when she had to leave.

"Mama and the babies will be home tomorrow," Calleigh assured her daughter, hugging her, fighting back her own tears. "And daddy is going to be home with you tonight."

After adult visiting hours were over Eric was going to go home and spend the night with the older children. He would come and pick up his wife and new children the following morning.

"Okay," Chloe said, still sounding sad.

A new feeling of happiness washed over Eric Delko the next afthernoon watching _all_ of his family together at home. It hadn't taken Ethan long to accept that the babies were his family's and they weren't going anywhere. But he still didn't like them. Why his big sister was excited about them he didn't understand. Calleigh didn't try to push the twins on the boy either. Mommy told him it was okay for him to say he did not like the twins-as long as he used his words-and nothing else to express his feelings. Even at two years old Ethan knew what that meant. He couldn't hit the babies or he be in _big_ trouble. Ethan's jealousy was pacified some that day when his parents gave a new set of toy cars, telling him it was from his siblings. This convinced him to hold each of the babies for a brief moment before he went off to play with his new toys. The new grandparents came by that evening, they had seen the babies at the hospital but were curious how the older children interacted with them. Uncle Horatio came by around the same time. He saw that the little boy was feeling a bit down. He gave Ethan a big hug and told him that he was a big brother too and that he would get used and learn to like his new siblings soon.

"How's it feel to be papi another two times over?" Horatio asked Eric.

"Awesome," Eric grinned.

He was running on pure adrenal after a solid night sleep home to feel tired. If one baby woke at a time tonight, Eric was determined get her sleep. Zachary and Nadya Delko were already proving to be very different from each other. They looked like Calleigh with the exception of their tanner complexion, big brown eyes and dark hair, just like Chloe had observed.

Life was definitely busier and exhausting but neither mom or dad wouldn't have it any other way. If that made Calleigh and Eric "crazy" then just call them certifiable.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I'M 30 TODAY:).


End file.
